2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

THE DEVELOPMENT & INSTRUMENTATION OF A MICROCONTROLLED SMART MAILBOX

Presented at Instrumentation in Engineering Projects

Using improved student engagement strategies in high-impact practices such as Senior Research Projects is demonstrating the much-needed enhancement in student SUCCESS as can be seen in the Project described here. The Senior Project course, a Design, Build & Test exercise, also often referred to as ‘Training in Research and Research Methods’, is predicated on regular evaluation and redesign, as a gateway course to the workforce and graduate school opportunities. Unlike most other courses, it is based on Open-Ended Problem-Solving requirements for which skills in specialized Instrumentation selection is required, and so is Training in Research & Research Methods where students learn to Find Information, analyze these, plot them, interpret what they see, Draw Conclusions and Make Decisions to impact the Design Objective. The measured Student successes which form important institutional yardsticks, included high measures of student engagement and positive outcomes that were influenced by measured factors likes self-efficacy, academic achievement, completion, retention, and career preparation. The grading in the course is based on a combination of “objective” and “subjective” evaluations. The objective part involves regular presentations of work in progress (35% of the overall grade) and a paper/Final report and final presentation (25%), each based on work performed and published articles on the subject matter. The more subjective components are 20% of the overall grade and 20% for peer evaluations of participation in small group discussions based mostly on completed work, cited articles and Class-Design Expo Presentations. This project addresses the evolving landscape of package deliveries by the development and instrumentation of a micro-controlled mailbox prototype that offers secure and contactless solutions. The initiative tackles challenges in traditional mailboxes, such as security, remote user interaction, and physical locking capabilities, to enhance the overall user experience. Utilizing IoT technologies, the project culminates in a smart mailbox prototype. The design employs an ESP32 microcontroller, chosen for its extensive features and versatile I/O ports, plus a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi communication port. A web browser interface provides a graphical user interface for user interaction. The integration of technologies such as RFID access control and solar-powered systems successfully resolves various challenges such as power-management observed in traditional mailboxes, and offers a comprehensive solution for the increasing demand for secure and contactless parcel deliveries.

Authors

Dr. Cyril B Okhio P.E. http://orcid.org/https://0000-0001-8418-6110 Kennesaw State University [biography]

Cyril B. Okhio is a Faculty at the Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering & Engineering Technology, Kennesaw State University and an Adjunct Professor at Clark Atlanta University’s Dual Degree Engineering Program. He earned his B.S. (Engineering) and Ph.D. (Mechanical Engineering) degrees from and was an (Science and Engineering Research Council) SERC Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of London. He is registered as a Chartered Professional Engineer (C.Eng., C.PEng.) with the Council of Registered Engineers, United Kingdom; a Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, UK and a Member of the Institute of Transportation Engineers, USA. Dr. Okhio has many years of administrative experience including Chairmanship of a Mechanical Engineering Department. Dr. Okhio understands that most engineering problems require multi-disciplinary solutions that embrace the new concepts of PLM approach so that the resulting solutions can be sustainable and all encompassing.
Dr. Okhio has carried out experimental and numerical investigations of, and developed statistical analysis tools and computer codes, for the calculation of complex fluid flows. Some of this work has been published in international journals. He is currently involved in multi-disciplinary research and development concerning Condition Monitoring of Engineered Systems; applications of Additive Manufacturing Tools to the study of Design for Manufacturability of Engineering Components and Systems; Vehicular Systems and Safety Engineering, associated with SPSU Visualization & Simulation Research Center for which he is a co-PI. Dr. Okhio is very familiar with the level of technology and development, world-wide. He has visited many countries including Taiwan, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Senegal, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, France, and he lived in the United Kingdom for more than 12 years. He is married with two children.
Dr. Theodore Orrin Grosch Kennesaw State University [biography]

Dr. Grosch earned his BSEE in 1982, MSEE in 1987, and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University in 1993. He have worked at Hughes Aircraft, General Electric, M.I.T. Lincoln Laboratory two start-ups. Dr. Grosch has taught at Univ
Dr. Austin B. Asgill P.E. Kennesaw State University [biography]

Dr Austin B. Asgill received his B.Eng.(hons) (E.E.) degree from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, his M.Sc. (E.E.) degree from the University of Aston in Birmingham, and his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of South Florida. He is currently a Professor of Engineering Technology (Electrical) at Kennesaw State University (KSU) and has previously served as Department Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology (ECET). Prior to joining the faculty at KSU (formerly SPSU), he was an Associate Professor of Electronic Engineering Technology at Florida A&M University (FAMU), where he served as Program Area Coordinator and Interim Division Director. With over 30 years of teaching experience in Electrical/Electronic Engineering and Engineering Technology, he currently teaches in the areas of networking, communication systems, biomedical instrumentation, digital signal processing, and analog and digital electronics. He has worked in industry in the areas of telephony, networking, switching and transmission systems, and RF and MMIC circuits and system design. Dr. Asgill also has an MBA in Entrepreneurial Management from Florida State University. He has served on the board of the Tau Alpha Pi (TAP) National ET Honors Society since 2012 (Chair 2012-2014). He is a Life Senior Member of the IEEE, a Member of the ASEE, and is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) in the state of Florida.
Mr. Jeremy Dismukes Kennesaw State University [biography]

Jeremy is an engineer-in-training with experience in designing military fueling facilities and a graduate student at Kennesaw State University, pursuing an MSEE. Passionate about problem-solving, IoT, and coding, he is driven by curiosity and innovation in technology. Jeremy places a high value on education and lifelong learning, continuously seeking opportunities to expand his expertise and contribute to impactful projects. He is preparing for a career in engineering that combines technology with meaningful solutions. Jeremy seeks roles that reflect his technical acumen and dedication to lifelong growth.
Anthony Ware

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 22, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 25, 2025

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